1. Field
The exemplary embodiments relate to dryer sheets and methods of using the dryer sheets in rotary clothes dryers. It more particularly relates to dryer sheets with improved anti-wrinkle and deodorizing properties for use with cotton and permanent press garments and clothing.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
Dryer sheets are commonly available for use in a dryer with a load of laundry for imparting anti-static properties, fabric softening properties, and fragrance to the laundry during a drying cycle. Dryer sheets are generally cationic in nature and help to neutralize the residual negative anionic charge in clothes from the washing process and the static cling (excess of negative charge) imparted to clothes during the drying process. Exemplary dryer sheets are available under the names Bounce® and Downy® from The Procter & Gamble Company. In general, the dryer sheet includes a nonwoven fabric substrate and a composition that includes an anti-static agent or fabric softening agent, and a fragrance. During the drying cycle, the temperature increases as the laundry dries, causing the anti-static agent or the fabric softening agent to melt and transfer from the nonwoven substrate to the clothes or garments. Dryer sheets are generally provided for single use, and are discarded after use. Dryer sheets containing fabric softeners are described by U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,692, U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,025, U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,895; U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,230, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,595, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
With respect to “dry dryer sheets,” one product of this type is commercially available from The Proctor & Gamble Company of Cincinnati, Ohio under the trademark Bounce® Dryer sheets of this type generally consist of sheets of non-woven material impregnated with a composition usually consisting of a cationic softening agent, antistatic agents, dispersing agents and a fragrance. The softening or other fabric treating agent is applied to the non-woven material and then dried in an oven so that it is completely “dry” when ready for use. One or more dry dryer sheets are placed into a rotary clothes dryer with freshly laundered, damp items of clothing, where they remain for the entire drying cycle. The composition on the sheet of non-woven material is released in the course of the drying cycle as a result of the heat within the clothes dryer, and contact with the clothing induced by the tumbling action of the dryer. The water repellency of the conditioning materials is key to the slow release to the wet clothing until higher temperatures are obtained and a slow transfer of the waxy-like conditioning antistatic agents is achieved.
With respect to “wet dryer sheets”, one product of this type is commercially available from Church and Dwight Company of Princeton, N.J. under the trademark of Arm and Hammer 2 in 1 Dryer Sheets®. Dryer sheets of this type generally consist of sheets of non-woven material impregnated with a liquid composition usually consisting of a cationic softening agent, anti-static agents, dispersing agents and a fragrance. One or more wet dryer sheets are placed into a rotary clothes dryer with freshly laundered, damp items of clothing, where they remain for the entire drying cycle. The composition of the sheet is released in the course of the drying cycle as a result of the heat within the clothes dryer, and contact with clothing induced by tumbling action of the dryer.
Prior art dry dryer sheets described above also have a number of limitations. One of these limitations is that they have limited effectiveness for preventing the wrinkling of garments and clothing during the drying process and have little or no sanitizing effect. In particular, a relatively high temperature is required in order to activate the softening or other fabric treating agent on the non-woven sheet and release it into the fabric of the clothing.
Hence, there is a need for a dryer sheet with improved anti-wrinkle and deodorizing properties when used in rotary clothes dryers. There is also a need for improved methods of using dryer sheets with improved anti-wrinkle and deodorizing properties during the clothes drying process.